Two new NHS mental health centres are set to open in Greater Manchester as part of a major expansion of services aimed at helping people get support earlier and reducing pressure on hospitals.
Expansion details
The community hubs in Manchester are among 100 new neighbourhood mental health centres being created across England, with the first sites expected to open from this autumn. The expansion is part of a £343m investment described by the Government as the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation.
Alongside the new community centres, 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments will also be created across England, giving people experiencing a crisis access to specialist care away from busy A&E departments.
Pressure on A&E
The move comes as NHS services face increasing pressure from rising demand, with hospitals warning that emergency departments are often becoming the first place people turn when they cannot access support elsewhere. Royal Bolton Hospital recently issued a plea to patients, warning its A&E department was facing "significant pressure" and urging people not to attend as a "faster option" for care.
The trust said the department was experiencing "very long waiting times", with staff "working tirelessly" to manage demand. Patients were advised to consider other NHS services where appropriate, including NHS 111, GPs, pharmacies and urgent treatment centres.
Community centres
The 100 new community mental health centres will be based in neighbourhoods. Unlike traditional services, many will offer walk-in help without the need for a GP referral and without people having to wait months before being assessed. Some will be newly built facilities, while others will be created by converting existing community spaces such as libraries, banks and other high street buildings.
The centres will bring together NHS mental health teams with councils, voluntary organisations and other services, including support around housing and employment. The Government says this joined-up approach will help people get the right support first time, rather than being passed between different services.
Emergency departments
A key part of the expansion is the creation of 59 new mental health emergency departments. These will provide same-day specialist support for people experiencing a mental health crisis who are medically fit and do not require treatment in an emergency department. They will work closely with ambulance services, police and existing hospital teams, providing a calmer and more therapeutic environment where people can be assessed quickly.
The expansion will more than double the number of dedicated mental health emergency departments in England, taking the total to 82. It is not clear from the announcement whether any of the new emergency departments will be based in Greater Manchester.
Demand and criticism
Demand for mental health services has increased sharply in recent years, particularly among children and young people. Around one in five people experience a common mental health condition each year, according to Government figures.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said too many people were "only getting mental health support when they reach crisis point, after struggling for far too long to get the help they need". She said the new centres would make it easier for people to access care earlier and closer to home, while ensuring those needing urgent help could be seen quickly by specialist teams.
Greater Manchester is among areas across England benefiting from the first wave of the expansion. The Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) announced a new chief executive in May of this year after a barrage of heavy criticism last year. The trust came under fire when it ranked in one of the lowest positions in a league table which aimed to evaluate acute, non-acute and ambulance trusts across England. The GMMH was ranked 58th out of 61 non-acute trusts across the country as part of a league-table initiative.
Locations and timeline
Two new community mental health centres are planned in Manchester, alongside other North West sites including Oldham, Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Cheshire West and Chester, Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. The Government says the first facilities will open from autumn 2026, with further centres following from March 2027.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the changes were intended to ensure people could access help before reaching a crisis. He said: "Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone. But every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E." He added that the new centres would bring NHS services closer to communities and help ensure people received "the right care in the right place".
Reactions
Mental health charities welcomed the expansion, but said its success would depend on making sure services were properly staffed and integrated. Rethink Mental Illness said neighbourhood mental health centres could transform people's experience of care by bringing treatment and wider support together under one roof. Mind said the plans represented a "much-needed shift" towards preventative, community-based support.
The Government says the rollout forms part of a wider ambition to move the NHS away from a model focused on responding to crises and towards preventing problems before they become more serious.
